Zeus
Zeus '''(or known by the Romans as '''Jupiter) is the King of the Gods and Ruler of Olympus. The youngest of the six Elder Gods, Zeus was responsible for cutting down his father, Kronos. After his ascention to the throne, Zeus became the God of the Sky, Justice and Weather. He is known for his swift action and philandering. History Early Life Zeus was the born the youngest child of Kronos and Rhea on Mount Orthyos. A prophecy had foretold that the children of Kronos would overthrow their father the same Kronos had led his siblings against Ouranos. To prevent this act from coming to pass, Kronos tossed Zeus' siblings into Tartarus. When Zeus came of age Kronos saw the power within the boy and felt his own begin to drain. He plotted to throw his son into Tartarus and have him join his siblings but Rhea couldn't bear to lose another child. She sent Zeus to safety on the island of Crete, earning the wrath of the King Titan. In an attempt to draw Zeus out, Kronos instead threw his young wife Metis into the hellish prison. Still, Zeus remained in hiding, training his powers in secret. During this time, he spawned several more children, the twins Artemis and Apollo and the Nine Muses. When the time came, Zeus used all of his training to unleash his full power and break into Tartarus. Zeus freed his siblings along with the Elder Cyclopses and Hekatonkheire. Zeus was then introduced to his daughter, Athena. Born from Metis in Tartarus, Athena was raised in the place of evil and survived through her strength and intelligence. The Six reunited with their mother at the base of Mount Ida and declared war against their father. With the Cylcopses and Hekatonkheire on their side, The Great War began. War Against the Titans The Great War against the Titans was a hundred year long conflict. During those years, Zeus married Hera and had four children with her - Ares, Enyo, Hephaestus and Eilethyia. Hephaestus was trained by the Cyclopses to make weapons for Zeus's growing army, Eilethyia a healer and Ares and Enyo trained as warriors. He also secured an alliance with the Pleiads by mating with their leader, Maia. This resulted in the birth of another son, Hermes. Hermes' speed, stamina and trickery allowed him to spy on the Titans alongside his uncle Hades. The Gods soon turned the tide in the war after persuading Eos, Selene, Prometheus, Epimetheus and Helios to join their side and help take down their parents. Eventually, they built up a large following of worshippers who fueled their powers enough to overthrow the Titans. The Six led an attack on Mount Orthyos and led their allies into battle. One by one the Titans fell as the Six made their way to Kronos's throneroom. They battled against their father, prevailing after Zeus cut down Kronos with his own scythe. After their King fell, the Titans surrendered. In the aftermath of the battle, the Gods cast Hyperion, Iapetus, Krios, and Koios. The Titans would be imprisoned in the maximum-security zone of Tartarus, surrounded by huge bronze walls, and a lava moat, guarded by their Hundred-Handed brothers. With the fall of the Titans, the Gods became empowered from their essence and the worship of their followers. As their spy, Hades' abilites made him suited to oversee the Underworld and guard Tartarus. Having secured an alliance with the sea nymphs through marriage, Poseidon was the natural choice to rule the seven seas. Demeter's green thumb made her the obvious choice to roam the Earth. The humble Hestia never sought power, and her kind and calming nature made her fit to oversee the hearth that fueled the power of their new home on Mount Olympus. Hera's intuiton and political strategies made her fit to be Queen and oversee the activities of the other Gods. As their leader and most powerful among them, Zeus became King of the Gods from his throne on Mount Olympus, ruling over the skies around them. Relationship with Selene Having seen Selene fight alongside his daughter Artemis in the battle against the Titans, Zeus was taken by her beauty. The two began a meaningful friendship and often met for late night talks or walks on the beach in the glow of her moonlight. After 300 yeas of marriage to Hera, the two had grown distant and he became fond of Selene. He eventually confessed his love for her and the two had a night of passion that resulted in the conception of a daughter, Pandia. However, Selene refused to entertain their relationship any further out of respect for Hera. The heartbroken Zeus then left Olympus for two years. During this time, he met the enchanting Princess Danaë of Argos. Danae had been locked in a tower by her father in order to ensure that a prophecy fortelling his end at his grandson's hands would not come to pass. His paranoia eventually led him to attempt to kill his daughter, only for her to be save by Zeus. Zeus and Danaë began a relationship together that produced a son, Perseus. Meanwhile, in an attempt to smooth things over with Hera, Selene gifted the Goddess with a magnificent apple tree that produced fruit of gold. Hera forgave her and had the tree taken far off to the west, and planted in a beautiful orchard. Hera employed the Hesperides, daughters of Atlas, to guard the tree, but as the nymphs would occasionally pluck an apple from the tree themselves, she put a fierce one hundred headed dragon named Ladon there as well. This orchard was later named the Garden of the Hesperides. Hera and Selene eventually developed a close bond as well and even entertained a relationship of their own. Their relationship made Zeus feel inferior and left out, and he sought comfort in the arms of the mortal, Alcmene (this resulted in the birth of Hercules). Selene later approached Zeus with Hera and showed him that their bond was an invitation. Selene reignited the spark between Hera and her husband and within the coming years he had three new daughters - Ersa and Nemia by Selene and Hebe by Hera. The Gigantomachy In anger over the death of her son Kronos, Gaea took Tartarus, the protogenos of the abyss, as a husband and bore the race of Gigas, each giant being the rival of a different Olympian god or goddess. Like the Olympians, the giants were led by the youngest of their number, Porphyrion, who was the antithesis of Zeus. The eldest, Alcyoneus, was born to oppose Hades, the eldest Olympian. The Olympians called upon the aid of Hercules after a prophecy warned them that they would need the aid of a mortal woman's son. Athena, instructed by Zeus, sought out Hercules and requested his participation in the battle. During the battle, Hades' son Zagreus was ripped apart by Alcyoneus. As Hades and Persephone rushed to save their son, they placed his spirit into the body of their ally, Semele of Thebes. Reborn as Dionysus, he grew at an accelerated rate, returning to his parents in the midst of battle against the Gigas. Alongside Hercules and Hecate, they fulfilled the prophecy and won the Olympians the day. The Olympians awared the trio by granting Hercules immortality, Hecate was granted free roam throughout the realms (as well as significantly more power) and Dionysus was given the final seat on the Olympian council. But while the Olympians celebrated, Gaea's anger only grew. Typhon In a last ditch effort to overthrow the Gods, Gaea sent her last and most powerful child, the great monster Typhon, to destroy the Olympians. Typhon alone is the greatest foe the Gods ever faced, even mightier than the Titans themselves. Having never anticipated such a powerful rival, the Gods were quickly forced on the defensive and they eventually went into hiding, except for Zeus, who was frozen with fear. Gathering his senses, Zeus struck Typhon square in the chest with the tremendously powerful Master Bolt at point blank range, but Typhon merely shrugged it off. He knocked Zeus out of his chariot and held the poor God in a strong grip. Typhon tore out Zeus's divine tendons, greatly weakening him, and hurled him away. Hermes and Pan met Zeus and formulated a plan. Pan began to play soft music, which calmed Typhon whom then fell asleep. The Gods stole the tendons and attached them to Zeus. Zeus quickly attacked Typhon and severed the monster's fingers with the Master Bolt. The Gods rallied behind Zeus and launched an attack against the monster, succeeding with their combined might. After her most powerful child was defeated and trapped under Mount Etna, Gaea admitted defeat and fell back to sleep, allowing the gods to rule Olympus without interference ever since. As Zeus prepared to celebrate his victory, he learned Selene fell in battle. As they mourned the loss of their lover, Zeus and his wife drifted apart further than every. Ganymede Zeus later visited the city of Troy where he met and fell in love with Ganymede. He was the son of the king Tros of Dardania, after whom Troy took its name, and Callirrhoe. The two began a secret and passionate affair that meant so much to Zeus that he couldn't bear to part with his new lover. Zeus revealed the truth to Tros and informed him that Ganymede would became an immortal servant to the Gods as one of his cupbearers. Believing the position to be one of great honor, Tros gave his blessing and Zeus returned to Olympus with Ganymede in tow. Minos Zeus later became fascinated Europa of Crete. Attracted not to her looks, but to her personality, Zeus became intoxicated with her depth. He visited her multiple times through the years, resulting in the birth of three sons - Minos, Rhadamanthys and Sarpedon. The two ultimately separated, with Zeus returning to his duties on Olympus. Europa began a relationship with King Asterion and left her sons in his care when she died. Seeing that his children were happy with the kind King, Zeus left them in his care. This would prove to be a fatal error as the eldest became obsessed with power. When Asterion died, his throne was claimed by Minos, who banished his brothers. A cruel and unforgiving tyrant, Minos reigned over Crete and the islands of the Aegean Sea three generations before the Trojan War. Minos took Pasiphaë as his wife and queen. With her, he fathered four sons, Catreus, Androgeus, Deucalion, and Glaucus, and four daughters, Acalle, Ariadne, Xenodice and Phaedra. By Deucalion, he was the grandfather of Idomeneus, who led the Cretans during the Trojan War. The cruel King was eventually overthrown by his brothers. Sarpedon raised Minos' as his own, ensuring that they would never grow up to be like their father. Sure enough, when Catreus ascended to the throne, he ruled with empathy and diplomacy. Helen of Troy Years later, Zeus approached the Queen of Sparta, Leda, having admired her beauty from afar. The two talked and after impressing her and making her smile by transforming into a swan, Zeus seduced the Queen, resulting in the birth of their daughter Helen. Regarded as the most beautiful woman in the world, her hand in marriage was promised to Menelaus of Sparta. However, Zeus sensed his daughter was unhappy with her arranged marriage and sent Aphrodite to interfere. Thus, she introduced Helen to Paris. The two began a passionate and romantic affair but when her husband returned, they fled to Troy. Menelaus believed his wife to have been kidnapped and launched a siege on Troy, leading to the ten year conflict known as the Trojan War. At the end of the war, Troy fell and Paris was killed. Rather then be forced into a life of misery, Helen attempted suicide. But her father had other plans. Whisked away to Olympus and introduced to her half-sister Artemis. Artemis approached her with the choice to no longer be a pawn in the squabbles of men - become a Hunter of Artemis. Helen accepted and became one of her immortal hunters. Orion Zeus, Poseidon and Hermes later visited a man named Hyrieus. In exchange for his hospitality and kindness, the Gods granted a wish by coming together and giving him a son. The boy would be named Orion and grew up to be a legendary hunter whose skill was only rivaled by Artemis herself. The two competed frequently and eventually fell in love. One of Artemis's hunters feared their leader would turn her back on their promise and told Orion to hunter every creature on Earth to win Artemis' hand in marriage. The string of hunts caught the attention of Gaea who summoned a giant scorpion to sting Orion, its poison finally putting an end to his life. Artemis found her lover’s body and placed him amongst the stars. Tantalus Years later, Zeus fathered another child with Queen Plouto of Tantalis, an ancient western Anatolian city. She gave birth to a son, whom she named Tantalus after her home. Tantalus was mentally unstable young man who exhibited several odd personality characteristics. The now elderly Queen was declining in health and to ensure her kingdom was in safe hands, she asked Zeus to bring Tantalus to Olympus and observe him. Zeus abided and brought Tantalus to Olympus, where he asked to take nectar and ambrosia, back to his people. Zeus refused, and he was enraged. In order to humiliate the Gods, he murdered and cooked his own son Pelops and served it to the Gods as food. After Demeter realized what had happened after she bit into what was formerly the boy's shoulder, Zeus struck Tantalus down with his Master Bolt. He then took the parts that lay before them and reassembled them, resurrecting his grandson. To punish his vile son, Zeus personally took his soul to Hades where Tantalus was subjected to eternal starvation and thirst. He was made to stand in a lake with a fruit tree growing on the shore with fruit growing on a branch above him. Whenever Tantalus tried to drink, the water dried away and when he wanted to eat, a strong wind blew the fruits out of his reach. Ixion Not long after, Zeus came across a man named Ixion who had gone mad after the death of his father-in-law. Zeus took pity on him and brought Ixion to Olympus and introduced him at the table of the gods. Instead of being grateful, Ixion grew lustful for Hera, Zeus's wife, a further violation of guest-host relations. Growing suspicious, Zeus followed Ixion and spied on him, discovering the man sleeping with his wife. Zeus then struck Ixion with his Master Bolt. Callisto Zeus would later drunkingly-seduce the huntress Callisto, who was in a relationship with his daughter Artemis. Hera would see this and inform Artemis that her father was engaged with her lover. In an attempt to shoot her father, Callisto jumped in front of the arrow to spare Artemis the pain of killing her father. Zeus would place Callisto's spirit in the sky as a constellation while Apollo would spread the tale that Callisto was transformed into a bear by Hera, thus painting her as the villain of the story. Recent History Zeus has relatively stayed out of trouble for the last few thousand years. He's (narrowly) avoided siring an abundance of children, yet still carries out relations with numerous men and women. But despite his heavy drinking and numerous affairs, nobody dares question his authority. Zeus has overseen a time of peace on the planet. Appearance Zeus is described as having electric blue eyes that shock like lightning. His hair is golden like the sun and his voice is described as swoon worthing. His very presence is commanding and fills those before with a mixture of amazement, respect, fright and lust. Most describe the King of smelling like fresh rain and clean wind. He's quite charismatic and proud, with a face that is undoubtedly the most handsome amongst the Gods. However, when Zeus is infuriated, his face becomes "as dark as a thundercloud." In addition, when he is saddened, Zeus' gaze seemed "as far away as the ozone layer". Powers and Abilities * Strength: Zeus has incredible physical prowess and is said to able to lift and hurl entire mountains at his enemies. * Battle Prowess: '''Zeus is an extremely skilled, formidable and experienced warrior. He defeated the infamously terrifying Kampê, battled his Titan father Kronos, and even held his own against the more powerful Typhon. Zeus is a master of combat techniques and strategy, yet he recognizes that there were those more strategically skilled and knowledgeable than him, as he considered Athena to be his finest strategist in the battle against Typhon. * '''Aerokinesis: '''As the God of the Sky, Zeus has absolute control over air. Zeus can generate tremendously powerful hurricanes and tornadoes at will and manipulate the air currents around him to hover and fly at great speeds. * '''Atmokinesis: As the God of the Sky, Zeus has absolute control over the weather. * Electrokinesis: ''' As the God of Thunder and Lightning, Zeus has absolute control over both static and celestial electricity, allowing him to generate tremendous bolts of lightning from his fingertips, send great amounts of static shock through the bodies of others on contact, wield the Master Bolt and become immune to electric attacks. * '''Justice: As the God of Justice and Honor, Zeus maintains control over the other deities by preventing their feuds from escalating to epic proportions, and ensuring the overall order of the world by handing down and enforcing justice. * Granting and Stripping Powers: As the King of the Olympian Gods, Zeus can temporarily strip away (and later restore) any other Olympian of his/her godly powers and divinity. * Shapeshifting: 'Zeus had always had a talent for shapeshifting, even transforming himself into a Titanic version to deceive his father and the other Titans. Later on, he frequently transformed himself into other shapes to seduce those whom he fell in love with. * '''Teleportation: '''Zeus is able to travel great distances in a “flash” of lightning. * '''Vitalum Vitalis: '''Zeus is able to tip the scales of life, as seen when he resurrected his grandson Pelops. * '''Concilium: '''Zeus is able to manipulate the minds of others. Attendants Four Wind Gods * Boreas * Notus * Zephyros * Eurus Throneguard * Hercules Messenger * Hermes Cupbearer * Ganymede Charioteer * Nike Consorts Wives * 'Metis: First Wife (Deceased); Mother of Athena. * Hera: Second Wife; Mother of Ares, Enyo, Hephaestus, Eilethyia and Hebe. Consorts * Leto: 'Mother of Artemis and Apollo. * 'Mnemosyne: 'Mother of the Nine Muses. * 'Aegina: 'Mother of Aeacus and Menoetius. * 'Maia: 'Mother of Hermes. * 'Selene: 'Mother ofPandia, Ersa and Nemia. * 'Danaë: 'Mother of Perseus * 'Alcmene: 'Mother of Hercules. * 'Europa: 'Mother of Minos, Rhadamanthys and Sarpedon. * 'Leda: 'Mother of Helen. * 'Poseidon: Father of Orion. * Hermes: Father of Orion. * Plouto: 'Mother of Tantalus. Recent Lovers * [[Aphrodite|'Aphrodite]]: Goddess of Love & Beauty. * [[Demeter|'Demeter']]: Goddess of Agriculture. * Aegina: A Dryad. * Aex: A Satyr. * Deino: An Aurae. * Electra: A Pleiad. * Himalia: A Dryad. * Io: A Naiad. * Othreis: A Dryad. * Sinope: A Naiad. * Taygete: A Pleiad. * Alkibiades: A statesman in Athens. * Auxiesa: A mortal woman in Delphi. * Cassiopeia: A mortal woman in Crete. * Diona: A mortal woman in Athens. * Duris: A mortal man in Sami. * [[Kyra|'Kyra']]: Leader of the rebels on Delos. * Lykaon: A doctor in the Chlora of Delphi. * Niobe: A noblewoman in Argos. * Olympias: Queen of Makedonia. * Zopheras: A warrior in Sparta. Legacy * Athena: Goddess of Wisdom & Strategy. * Artemis: Goddess of the Moon & Hunt. * Apollo: God of the Sun & Music. * Calliope: Muse of Epic Poetry. * Clio: Muse of History. * Erato: Muse of Love Poetry * Euterpe: Muse of Music. * Melpomene: Muse of Tragedy. * Polyhymnia: Muse of Sacred Poetry. * Terpsichore: Muse of Dance * Thalia: Muse of Comedy. * Urania: Muse of Astronomy. * Ares: God of War & Violence. * Enyo: Goddess of War & Bloodlust. * Hephaestus: God of Blacksmiths & Fire. * Eileithyia ': Goddess of Childbirth. * 'Hermes: God of Speed & Travellers. * Panida: Goddess of Order. * Ersa: Goddess of Time. * Nemia: Goddess of Justice. * Hebe: Goddess of Youth. * Hercules: God of Bravery (Former Demigod). * Perseus: Greek Hero and Demigod. * Minos: Demigod and cruel tyrant. * Rhadamanthys: Demigod and lawmaker. * Sarpedon: Demigod and King. * Helen: Demigoddess and Hunter of Artemis. * Orion: Demigod and Hunter. * Tantalus: Demigod and murderer. Trivia & Notes * Zeus can mean "day" in Ancient Greek. * Zeus is an excellent singer and dancer. He also knows many outrageously hilarious "Satyr jokes". * In Rome, he is referred to as "Jupiter Optimus Maximus" ("Jupiter the Best and the Greatest"). * The Olympic Games are held in honor of Zeus. * Jupiter, the largest planet of the Solar system, is named after Zeus' Roman form. * Zeus is the only Olympian that wields a weapon that cannot be used by mortals. * Zeus' Egyptian counterpart (in terms of supreme authority) is Ra, though in terms of attributes, Zeus has much more in common with Amun. * Zeus' Norse counterpart (in terms of supreme authority) is Odin, though in terms of attributes, Zeus has much more in common with Thor. * He has taken more male lovers as of late in order to not reproduce any more children (and thus escape Hera's wrath. * His favorite place in all of Greece is the island of Kephallonia. * He has fathered more immortal children than any other Olympian. Category:Characters Category:Olympians Category:Elder Gods Category:The Six Category:Children of Kronos Category:Children of Rhea Category:Lovers of Demeter Category:Lovers of Hera Category:Lovers of Aphrodite Category:Lovers of Poseidon Category:Lovers of Hermes